Liang Jingkun ADC Custom R-Code vs. Digital W968 Review

Originally published 2025-08-29 · Translated & republished with permission

This installment’s blades: Liang Jingkun ADC Custom R-Code vs. the official Digital W968 version

Note: Scoring is done from an amateur enthusiast’s perspective, factoring in both the blade’s performance ceiling and its entry threshold.

My main blade: Zimu Hurricane Sa, DNA Dragon Grip, T05 Hard

First test: Digital W968, DNA Dragon Grip, Tibhar Quantum

Second test: Liang Jingkun Custom R-Code, DNA Dragon Grip, Tibhar Quantum

On the Digital W968

1. The forehand drive feel is very familiar and intimate, with the same structure as the rubber and blade I usually use, and the feel is good. Add a bit of power and you can feel that this blade is stiffer than the Hurricane Sa and the Liang Jingkun.

2. Forehand loops produce a fairly long arc that runs very close to the baseline, with very punchy power, but the spin is relatively weak. Once you drive into the blade’s interior, the feedback in your hand is very hard and it’s not easy to penetrate, so the arc and margin for error are relatively average. The demands on your stroke framework and technique are too high.

3. The backhand arc is very stable, just a touch of brush and it’s there, but only “stable.” Trying to penetrate the blade is even harder than on the forehand. Amateurs often can’t produce quality with the Digital W968 no matter how hard they try to loop, because they can’t punch through the blade, and it’s exhausting.

4. The Digital W968’s balance point is more toward the head than the Liang Jingkun ADC. Even though it’s only 192 grams, it feels very heavy in hand, and swinging it for two-winged power play is too tiring. Amateurs struggle to even drive a single ball with it, let alone hope for continuity.

5. I’d recommend the Digital W968 only for players rated at least 1600. Otherwise you’re better off buying a retail-version Kunkun ALC/ADC.

On the Liang Jingkun ADC Custom R-Code

1. The balance point sits slightly above center, heavier than a center-balanced blade, but a bit lighter than the Digital W968.

2. Pairing the forehand with a rubber like Dragon Grip, the drive feel is just too comfortable, the ball comes off so well, it straight up amazed me. The clarity is 1 point above the W968, the ball-release speed is 0.5 points above the W968, it plays with great precision, and the feel is 1.5 points above the W968.

3. Forehand topspin loops: After putting power in, it’s still very precise, very comfortable, very clear, and easy to drive. The quality and base power may not match the W968, but for amateur mid-table looping it’s completely sufficient. Driving into it isn’t hollow, and there’s support. Compared to other blades on the market, looping adds a special ball-gripping sensation: every time you loop, you can feel the ball’s feedback transmit into the fiber layer, cushioning, holding the ball, then spitting it back out. That feeling is just too comfortable.

4. Forehand loops against backspin: Thanks to the blade’s excellent and distinctive feel, when looping backspin you don’t have to deliberately add brush to create arc. You can confidently increase the proportion of direct contact. Except for looping down the line, which requires deliberate braking, looping crosscourt and to the middle is basically point-and-shoot. The blade is very precise, the feedback in your hand is excellent, and you know exactly where the ball will land.

5. Over-the-table control on both wings is also very precise, gentle and controllable. Short pushes place well, and on long pushes you can confidently add power. Control is far better than the retail version.

6. Backhand close-to-table play is this blade’s weak spot. The large overall blade is on the heavy side, and the close-to-table backhand stroke framework is small, so it plays half a beat slow, with a bit of “dullness” on contact, which doesn’t help quick transitions. It feels like wielding a heavy sword.

7. Backhand against backspin is a bit worse in stability and arc than the W968, with a relatively lower margin for error than the forehand, because the forehand has more of the body involved to help create arc and generate power, while the backhand has a higher threshold.

8. Backhand mid-table loops perform the best. Once you fully open up the stroke, extend, and loop it out, you get the same expression as the forehand: more ball-gripping, a steadier and more pronounced arc, and that comfortable feedback after penetrating it. The threshold to drive it is considerably lower than the W968.

9. Overall, I’d rate the Liang Jingkun ADC Custom R-Code as excellent or above. It’s still an all-around workhorse blade. The forehand threshold is low, the backhand threshold is a bit higher, and it suits amateur players rated 1500 or above who play a forehand-dominant system.